It has been easy to take Justin Rose for granted.
That’s meant as a compliment because he has been so consistently good for so long that he has become a part of the game’s wallpaper, someone who is seemingly always in the conversation, a fixture on leaderboards and a thoughtful voice in what has become a sometimes turbulent game.
With his playoff victory in the FedEx St. Jude Championship Sunday, Rose put another stamp in his career passport while proving that 45-year-old pro golfers can do more than wait for their 50th birthday.
Not only did Rose outlast J.J. Spaun, who is having a revelatory season, but he outplayed Scottie Scheffler at the end while also seeing his friend Tommy Fleetwood find another way to not win. Rose did it with six birdies in eight holes at TPC Southwind in Memphis, the kind of storybook finish that should come with confetti and noisemakers.
It’s a victory that brings into sharper focus what Rose has accomplished. It was his 12th PGA Tour victory, which makes him the second-winningest European in the modern era behind Rory McIlroy, putting him one ahead of Jon Rahm and Sergio García, who took their talents elsewhere, a mega-rich offer that Rose wisely turned down.
Rose has 11 wins on the DP World Tour, the 2013 U.S. Open, five runner-up finishes in majors including two playoff losses at Augusta, the 2018 FedEx Cup, could win a second FedEx Cup this year, has an Olympic gold medal and he will play in his seventh Ryder Cup next month at Bethpage Black.
There aren’t a lot of holes to fill on Rose’s résumé, though he was quick to point out that he hasn’t qualified for the Tour Championship since 2019, a dry run that will end next week at East Lake.
“He’s great, isn’t he? I love his dedication. I really do. I’ve always loved how he’s gone about the game. I’m an admirer of his career. I just happen to be very close to him, so I’m lucky that I get to spend a lot of time with him,” Fleetwood said, looking beyond his own disappointment Sunday.
“Yeah, at 45 he’s not slowing down at all. He’s cracking on. He’s still very fit, very healthy, very motivated. I think he’s a great person in golf to look up to.”
And he’s another cinder block in captain Luke Donald’s imposing European Ryder Cup team.
“[Winning] is another really, really, really important signal that I’m on the right track with my game, and actually maybe even getting a little bit better at the moment.” – Justin Rose
Rose has played against Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson when they were near the height of their powers, absorbed the arrival of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, played alongside Rahm as he became one of the game’s superpowers and, most recently, has been chasing McIlroy and Scheffler, like everyone else.
The arc of Rose’s career may be bending with age but it’s a slow bend. He has remained relevant at an age when he could relax.
“Obviously Phil bucked the trend; he won a major at 51. I feel like that’s good motivation,” Rose said. “I still feel like there is that golden summer of my career available to me. That’s what I’ve been pushing for.
“Moments like getting close at Troon [in the 2024 Open Championship] and then obviously getting close at Augusta, they’re signals that it’s possible. [Winning] is another really, really, really important signal that I’m on the right track with my game, and actually maybe even getting a little bit better at the moment.
“Will I ever be the best player that I was when I was maybe 2018 No. 1 in the world? I don’t know, but I don’t have to be I don’t think, as long as I can find it at the key times.”
Rose has succeeded with a working man’s approach to the game. He doesn’t have McIlroy’s athletic brilliance, Mickelson’s artistry or Scheffler’s extraordinary consistency.
There is a grinding, dig-it-out-of-the-dirt component that has elevated Rose across the years and it would be understandable if, into his third decade as a pro, he was comfortable in easing off. Instead, Rose has doubled down on his commitment.
He believes in what he is doing and has the results to validate his effort.
“Definitely played some good golf this year when it’s mattered. I feel like my good has been good. My consistency hasn’t been there, but I’ve been telling people that I feel like when I play my best golf, I’m able to compete with the best players in the world, and obviously today proved that I can win against the best players in the world,” Rose said.
“It’s really a gratifying day for me just to know that the hard work I have been putting in is not in vain.”
On the subject of sticking with the hard work, the flip side of Rose’s Memphis victory was Fleetwood’s latest near-miss. Two ahead with three to play, Fleetwood unraveled much like he did when he let the Travelers Championship slip away earlier this summer.
With 14 top-3 finishes without a victory, Fleetwood can’t escape the burden he now carries. He is immensely popular with fans but the can’t-win label is now as much a part of his story as his long, flowing hair. Fleetwood has not hidden from the obvious and has further endeared himself to fans by how he has handled his disappointments.
“All these experiences and these close calls … there’s no point in making or allowing them to have a negative effect on what happens next. What would be the point?” Fleetwood said.
“It was a great week. I did a ton of good stuff, and as disappointed as I am, I have to try to find the strength to make it all a positive experience and hopefully next time go again, put myself in that position again and we just go again.”
If Fleetwood needs any more motivation, the example set by his good friend Justin Rose may be just what he needs.